Friday, February 26, 2016

Here's an Interesting Idea

Last week, a 25-year-old California woman named Aaren O'Connor was shot in the head and killed while sitting in her car on Chicago's 21st Street in broad daylight. Then, this past weekend, 32 people were shot in Chicago, including a 3-year-old. Where is the outrage? When is enough going to be enough?

With a victim list growing by the day, it's time to realize we are in a war. Gangs are spreading fear and violence at will. The shootings are no longer a midnight-to-5-a.m. occurrence; they are happening in almost all of our neighborhoods and at any time. We have lost control.

To regain control, we have to get our police department back to a professional force that has the respect of the communities it serves. I am a retired Chicago Police Department lieutenant who was with the force 33 years, and I was one of the department's SWAT coordinators. I've also been a private consultant to several universities and campus police departments on emergency response and tactics. Here's my view.

Right now the gang shooters and their affiliates are having their way with little or no interference from law enforcement. Gone are the specialists who kept intelligence on all the leaders, emerging leaders and their turf; they knew the gang colors and the signs and who the main leaders were. Former police Superintendent Garry McCarthy broke up those units, saying he was putting a stop to “cowboying by specialized units.” Now those officers are out of the neighborhoods and back in the districts answering calls of dog bites and domestic issues.

We know that we're going to get a lot of nonsense in the comment sections, deriding the author, complaining about the units being "clout heavy," the seemingly endemic corruption that followed certain units. Those comments will be summarily deleted for the time being.

What we want here is a discussion on the idea - that a citywide response unit, staffed and equipped properly, might actually have an impact on the rising crime rates, specifically aggravated batteries, sex assaults, burglaries and homicides.

Of course, this means the Department would have to actually put manpower up to 13,500 officers again, something Rahm has studiously avoided his entire term.

80 Comments:

You should start at the real front line.All beats should be manned by 2 person cars.

Rapid response units should also be manned.

2 wagons up!

We have plenty of specialized units like the dog unit and the mystery gun unit.

The City wide unit is a bandage on the extremely dangerous districts who have too many recruits and supervisor who are dumped to these districts.

desk officers should be extinct and reports should be taken over the phone.car accidents should be don on scene.

And retired snipers well too each their own sometimes you have to accept that you are retired and move on. I read post of retired officer and feel saddened that they still wish they could be part of this big circus.

There is obviously a need for a citywide unit to address violence. It won't help, however, with the ISR situation being what it is. The law must change first. That won't happen soon, so enjoy the violence.

You gotta be really fucking stupid to bid to a citywide unit that expects you to do lots of proactive police work in today's political and social climate, not to mention the way they treated the last citywide unit (mobile strike force) after it got disbanded.

What we DON'T need is a "specialized unit" or an "elite force" that will morph into a TRU, SOS, SOG or MSF. The old tac teams had their own office in the district and acted like prima donnas amd spent the tour of duty figuring out how to AVOID work instead of doing it. District Law Enforcement has to start with the District itself. Not cowboy highwaymen who invade a district for a few hours, make dime-bag arrests and spend the next few hours at the bar telling the dollies that they are the real deal. No more separate unit bullshit but have the tactical teams attend roll call with the watch. After that, you need to build LEADERSHIP within each watch. Officers should work the same beat or at least the same sector all the time so they would really know and understand the crime conditions in a particular neighborhood. Un-handcuff officers (like the 2 page report that goes directly to the ACLU) so they can return to pro-active policing but have their supervisors make sure they aren't loose cannons out there running amok. Leadership comes from the top. It was well known that Garry thought the NYPD was the only real police force and he disrespected our command staff at every meeting. Attack crime from the street officer all the way up the chain of command from recruit police officer to Superintendant. Let's all restore the once-credible CPD back to it's superstar status.

This has nothing to do with specialized units and and their deletion and has everything to do with manpower shortages and the current anti law enforcement stance of the political left. They getting what they want. Less hands on approach to crime ridden areas, less incarceration rates, less proactive policing. Reap what you so BLM. You political farce is killing black lives faster in this city than all police departments in America combined. God Bless Obama's Socialist USA

Of course a specialized unit is needed. And with all the recent retirees what is the actual number of officers? There are so many hidden officers in districts working in the front office and 35 th street that need to be on the street.

I agree SCC to a point. Yes we could use a unit and yes only with increased manpower. We are desperately in need of a mass hiring. But would this unit even be effective under today's restrictive rules for policing? The which hunt on policing is handcuffing and will only get worse. How much could that unit impact crime under these rules? Would the guys in that unit be putting their jobs and assets at risk? You could bet the ACLU Feds IPRA activists and lawyers will be monitoring that units actions very close. Bad times

Fred is correct in his basic premise. Throughout the Post WWII era Chicago has had various forms of City-Wide Response Units, going back to the days of what was called the Flying Squad, Task Force, SOG and SOS. The Suppression of highly sophisticated criminal enterprises, which is what gangs are, is a highly specialized pursuit. In some cases these are actual international operations. To view this otherwise is akin to saying we will send regular sailors to do what Navy SEALS do. However, the days of SOS are long gone and will not return, because the Police Officers of today, especially in this Political Environment are very different from the coppers of the past. And an issue that I have mentioned in previous postings cannot be ignored, and that is:TRUST! After the dismantling of past Specialized Units and casting their personnel to the Districts, you would be hard pressed to find qualified personnel willing to volunteer for these Units today. Sure there is no shortage of guys applying for SWAT, but SWAT is a Unit that does not do what SOS did. Paying guys to workout every day, and calling them in for pinpoint missions is not what we need, and that is what SWAT does, and SWAT definitely does not make arrests. A City-Wide Gang Suppression Unit, would be on the street developing intelligence, and OMG, STOPPING PEOPLE! This Stopping People is considered Over Policing Minorities, and is unacceptable to a chosen tribe of lawyers residing in the Northshore. No, we are just going to keep counting corpses, until the homicide victims become tourists or residents of Beverly or the Gold Coast; then things will change. The Lt. was the fair haired boy, because he had bosses who backed him, and Coppers who were willing to take the fall for him. In addition it should be noted that Two Major Scandals took place involving these City-Wide Units and in both cases NOT A SINGLE WHITE SHIRT WENT DOWN! NOT ONE! So apparently, Fred's concept is absent any form of accountability or supervision. That won't work in the 21st Century, where everyone has a cell phone taking pictures and cars have video. The Cult of Fred is dead. Baby"G"

Two comments: Increasing the size of the force ain't gonna happen. It is to expensive and will take dollars the machine would rather spend elsewhere; No one's go busting the gangs up. The gangs are all folks of color. All of them are black or brown, and folks of color are politically golden. The gangs help the party get out votes and if need be can help maintain political discipline. The bottom line, just learn to live with the gangs and the elevated crime. As long as the party machine controls everything in Chicago and Cook Co. nothing is going to change, because it ain't the ruling class and party bosses getting robbed, shot and killed, and the rest don't really matter.

Too late. They have articulated in detail exactly who can and can't be stopped. The train has left the station. A unit of people who can't pat down or question gang members and drug dealers is gonna be just as effective as what we already have. Garry and Rahm have finally destroyed proactive police work. It's done.

The problem that I see deploying a citywide unit is the fact one of the few options available is saturating an area with patrol units doing traffic stops. In previous times, citywide units operating in mass were able to clear corners and put any swinging dick they encountered on the hood for pat downs and contact cards. The personal "touch" would lead to intelligence which could be used to fight gangs. Just driving around without the ability to "put hands" on people would not have the same effect. I would not volunteer to work a unit which must emphasize street stops during these times in which the ACLU, DOJ and every person with a cell camera is gunning for us.

The day of city wide units being effective is gone . Cameras are here to stay and getting better and more prolific every day . Gray area policing tactics , although effective , are a thing of the past . Beat cops are just Mobil clerks now , documenting the necessary rise in crime . It will be up to special investigation units , engaged in long term investigation , to remove the worst criminals from the streets . The high crime rates will be the new normal .

Hey LT. you have been away for way too long. You can staff the CPD to 15,000 and you will get the same you are getting now. The old way of policing is gone, you just can't stop people like you use too !!! That's the problem the old schoolers think policing is the same that it has been for years, but it has changed and the Blue shirts have changed with the times, no ISR and the old bosses can't understand that this is the new way of working.

1 manpower will need to be pushed up a bit. I doubt we will ever see 13500 but we need more officers.

2 The city needs to get rid of the ACLU and the ISR report. It will only jam up the officers. I dont care if you working police think if you do right you will be ok. Wait till you are sued for stopping pookie in an alley off of 3700 block of Monroe.

3 Bring back units that will do police work. TRU, SOS, ect. Their are officer who still want to work, I love this job but won't put my self in a position of getting jammed up because my clout heavy boss who is an idiot wants a better pension. Does PENNY ring a bell, she is the worst clout heavy boss I know right now.

These are terrific ideas of the past. Unfortunately, the good lieutenant fails to understand or address the gravity of the situation for police officers doing proactive police work. If we increase the manpower, bring back citywide units and pump up OCD. How will that in any way protect police from the Obama-driven culture that seeks to sue and prosecute police, while freeing the rest of the prison population? It would merely provide them with more targets.

After 25 years on the job, I agree with what the retired LT.I worked 7 years in the hood and developed my contacts (snitches) and cleared several major crimes with this information. I was promoted by testing to Detective where I was assigned to Homan Square(black site) There I brought my contacts along with and used them for every bit of information. I Loved my job.

After 5 years of this the Department started stripping or closing all investigative units. So back to the Area and assigned the 50 to 60 unopened cases. So I spent my time trying to contact victims or identify offenders in an Area that I never worked before. I found no trust from these neighborhoods in these attempts. But I found the hatred of the Department where these people only saw the media running with any police involved incidents. But I still did my job.

I have seen the Detective Areas reduced and the work backlog increase and the travel times to a crime scene increase. This was saving money like when the CPD tried to go paperless only to find no printers working in units or no paper.

I have seen the CPD spend more time covering up for the misconduct and lack of concern then spend time solving the crimes. It was a great job but the leaders of this city have now blamed the officers for the crimes.

All you have to do is sit in court at 26th street to see what is happening to the major crimes being brought to the State for prosecution. There is more trading going on there then the Board of Trade. Home monitoring for violent offenders, and assaults on police officers pending court?

Now I have 25 years and asking myself did any of this matter?I know I am nobody in this Department, but why is this City and Department so bent on trying to ruin the entire city.

I took on these responsibilities with this job, but I did not sign myself up as a target. I was once told that this Department will eat their own. The smoke and mirrors are disappearing now and the media and public are seeing the truth so lets punish the Police.

I believe that this is all true. We were a Police Department, now we are the scapegoats for City Hall.

PS I hear that Rahm is losing a bunch of his trusted aides who are leaving while the getting is good.

A CITYWIDE UNIT ? Those "citywide" units are bullshit as they concentrate in a few particular areas of this city. Never was, and never will be, a citywide crime reduction unit that is truly concentrating citywide. If you just opened up the blinders, crime in the "ghetto" is beyond belief, and you want resources to handle a garage burglary investigation in 016 that may run 4-6 months? While the ghetto runs up staggering crime numbers? Although it would be the right way of running this department, Its not going to happen when the welfare recipient gets on the TV and screams for more Police because pooky was unjustly shot at 3am walking back from the gas station. Its not hard to figure out what is the problem. You would better serve society and your old co-workers to just talk about REALITY and the true problems with what is going on. You can consult all you want to the liberals, but please don't think you can sell it here.

It seems some have a hard on for a citywide response team that will magically make crime go down. Well that means pulling less seniority officers to areas they know nothing about, which will take them two years to get to know well, that won't work. We already have officers in there district who know the streets and gangs!!?? The problem is un handcuffing police officers from the haters, media, and aclu, which isn't happening soon. So good thought but it's not realistic, it ain't happening any time soon. And do you think you'll get senior officers to this unit??? Haha, good luck. There's talent there but this department has shut them down. Let the white shirts figure it out.

That idea sounds great , however ,in my humble opinion would do little to curb the violence at this time. In order to gather intelligence on gang bangers, drug dealers and other evildoers you must first get someone with inside knowledge of a group or person(s) involved in criminal activity. Usually those with knowledge of wrongdoing are involved themselves in criminal activity. Now, in order to catch someone breaking the law it usually takes street stops and putting hands on people. With the new ISR's and the DOJ in town looking for police misconduct you would be hard pressed to find anyone in the department that would be willing to get involved with stopping people in the hopes of catching someone dirty and then trying to flip them into a cooperator. It has been said hundreds of times before on this site.... This job is dead. Stay safe and stay fetal.

As I posted a few days ago, Supt Escalante says he's going to hold Sgts responsible for crime in their sectors. Hey Supt, get Rahm to hire 2000 more Police, start TRU unit again, make contact card pocket size with a few additional lines added, tell the ACLU to go fuck themselves, crime will drop dramatically in three months!!!!

There is NO possible way of assembling a task force of this nature under this command and current runt dictator. The #blm will not allow it to happen they now control the voice of the community/ white guilt ridden liberals in which the task force would have to invade in an attempt to suppress the violence. I/F

It wouldn't matter. Lock up people all you want. Tom Dart and the Cook County Court System will release them all one way or another. The mental clinics have been shut down so more of them are on the street instead of a safe environment. The Police Board, IPRA, DOJ, IAD, Inspector General, ACLU, FOIA, Inspectors, etc. are all out to get you. Who is out to help the field officers and supervisors? No one.

If I get assigned a CR # on one of my guys it gets reviewed by the Lt, Capt, Cmdr, Deputy Chief, IAD and Lord knows who ever else. Each adding a sticky note to include more info.

Compare that to an arrest: only review is by one sgt most time for PC and final review. And that's for taking away someone's Constitutional rights.

No wonder we're in this mess. And look at the new camera order. The Supt says one thing but then adds more impediments.

Very simple, hire more Police!!! Nobody is to blame except Rham himself. He is the one who has put the whole city in danger by letting the Police Dept. drop to to such dangerous staffing levels. It is that simple.

I am a retired member who was part of a unit that Garry dumped. It was SOS then MSF. Yes there were problems but this job needs a ready response team that is versitile. We handedly crime, emergency disasters and special events. But SOS failed only because certain members were allowed free reign. With a proven leader and supervisors this unit could once again be a success. We also need these community leaders to realize the problems and jump on board with the police. We will need to over reach a bit but I believe with the right tools it would work. My advice is to bring back s ok me of v the r e tired Sgts. To act as advisors in training and c setting up this new unit. Before you guys all say old ways don't work. Sit back and listen before cowboy ing it up. I'm ready to come back and help because we do have a great department.

But, SCC, why bother? Any officer doing his job is going to get jammed up in the long run, and we all know it. Yes, if a crime occurs in front of me, I'll take the appropriate steps. But other than that? Not going to happen. I'm not risking my life, freedom, career and family to go chasing shitheads around the ghetto. Just to be spit on by the public. Not going to happen.

You're missing the point. People, in some neighborhoods, do not want the police in their neighborhoods at all. Oh they'll bitch and moan and groan and say the police aren't doing their jobs, but all they really want is someone to take a report and haul off the body. Containing the violence to those neighborhoods should be the aim of CPD. There are neighborhoods where the residents will smile and wave when they see you. When these residents report crime, their neighbors will try to help also.

As much as I would like to say that Bringing back a unit like S.o.S is theWay to go ,the bottom line is we can't Be the police anymore and until weGet a mayor who even for just one term Says shits gonna start flowing the otherWay nothing gonna change But that probably won't ever happenPolitics is way to " scratch my back and I'll scratch yours " typeOf shit in this city so the mayors office will neverStand up there and tell the people that the police Are gonna go out there and be the police againBecause the law suits and political implications Are way to great That being said I'm doing my 4 more years And I'm selling my house for what I can getAnd I'm taking my guns and going somewhere That I might have a chance to live a better lifeSome where I don't have to worry as much about The safety of my family never let my guard downBut don't have to be worried as much

That would be great if they wouldn't be held down for half the tour filling out ISR's. The outspoken citizens of this city don't want pro-active policing and the whore politicians sure as hell don't want it.I remember that hack mary mitchell writing that she wouldn't mind her son being stopped if it meant guns off the street and violence curbed, now she curses police for parking tickets.The pendulum has to swing back before we can be pro-active and for that to happen the herd needs to thin itself out a little bit longer.If the assassination of that 8 year old boy in the alley late summer wasn't enough to anger the ministers, what is

I've been on the job 29 years here's my view. Policing in this city/country is done no matter how many units they put together in this city. The police have been targeted as the enemy. The city is allowing every shithead group to dictate police policy now. Every officer I know isn't doing shit and yes I work in a unit. The smart officers will not risk making a mistake so it can show up on the 9 o'clock news. As we all know if its news worthy ur fucked. The clout bosses the aclu the reverends and the mayor have destroyed policing in this city. Yes I was a worker now I'm just waiting till may when I retire thank god. I feel sorry for the officers that have to keep working and deal with this shit city everyday.

Ok, we all have worked for experts like this guy. He's part of the problem. If you have to brag about your credentials your not a street guy. Your the type of boss that would tell your guys to get numbers when you never got numbers yourself. A good boss led by example. He or she would never shy away from locking someone up and put their name on the paper. If your a swat boss your a premadona and got some wack. They never give that job to the best copper. That's a phone call. I bet you make family members call you lieutenant.

I am also a retired lieutenant and I agree that bringing back a citywide response unit would have some effect. But, the elephant in the room remains cameras that will record everything you do, The ISR which is way too long and has the consequence of putting the officer in jeopardy, and the fact that there is no one out there to will really stand by you; not the brass, not city hall, not the prosecutors, not the ACLU, not black activists who want all of you in jail, not the media who are always looking for a sensational story. Even Hillary and Bernie are campaigning on the myth of " mass incarceration" and " over policing". Its makes for good sound bites. So even if a city wide unit is brought back, they will be watched intently, subject to complaints and US Attorney ride alongs, possible indictments and suspensions, all for trying to do their job. You cannot be an effective crime fighter always be a nice person. These days you will be challenged on video for everything you do or say. I think that the horse is out of the barn and it will be a long time until society wakes up and gets it back in.

Obviously what rahm has been doing with the police department is wrong since crime has consistently risen. He plays the political game more than any democrat rat politician should. If he was genuinely concerned about the safety of the citizens he would not be making deals with the devil aka ACLU. He wouldn't be constantly bad-mouthing the police publicly whenever he is questioned about crime and the department. What rahm is doing to Chicago is what obummer has been doing to America. Stripping down those who are on the front lines only trying to protect their homeland. They both are ruining each and should both be impeached otherwise resign. Chicago needs to increase the size of its department. This mayor needs to hire qualified and educated officers. If they come from the city or outside the city, it doesnt matter. Best qualified regardless. Dont specifically request minorities. He is alienating certain groups because it is again a political move in his corrupt term.

This is how I see it. As long as outside agencies are looking over our shoulder's scrutinizing our every move, it isn't really going to matter what type of "unit" you put together. Look, we all know what the shit heads are doing out there and we all know why we are stopping them on the streets. But if I have to document every single mope that I put my hands on and why there will be no time to actually stop enough mopes to make a difference. The thing that will work for now is "police presence" keep narcotics and gang intelligence, swat etc... end everything else and put these P.O.'s back in districts. Fill every beat, 2 wagons per watch, multiple rapids, multiple 06 cars, park cars, you get the idea. Put cars on the dope spots and all the bullshit gas stations and convenient stores have the districts swarming with blue and whites. If you see something take appropriate action and have the mopes that are in charge of this shit show realize that generating paper means shit as far as police activity. Look how much paper was generated under McDipShit and where did that get us. With all due respect to the retired Lt. it's a different time and a different place, old school ways are effective and work and in my opinion is the only police philosophy that will get us out of this mess. But until we get a mayor and superintendent with balls this will have to work for now.

I'm going to put it to you just like this: It's too late. I was in such a unit and yes we made a impact. It was a nice run but then Rham Vader hired that idiot Mcarthy. That addled chump disbanded everything and the perfect storm of that? Van Dyke et all where put out on the street (patrol) and you have his path crossing paths with Mcdonald and this is where we are today. Say what the fuck you will but no one will join such a unit in this atmosphere because to stop this shit you have to put hands on people. SERIOUS hands On. Who is doing that in this climate. So....Fuck Dat Shit..

Rico is the way to attack organized street gangs, but these cases take time . You have to be prepared to live that gang and be able to cultivate informants within that organization. Rico cases take anywhere from two to five years on the federal level. Bosses don't understand that, because 98 percent of them haven't ever done it or worked informants in this manner for long periods of time. But in today's society is the only way to make a dent into that particular organization. Gang leaders know Rico and they are scared of it which in some cases keep them on their toes! We should use the state and or federal Rico laws in attacking any organized street gang, they are the new mafia.

We don't need a specialized unit we need to tell the ACLU to fuck off, we need to get rid of the ISR form, we need the City to back officers and fight bull shit complaints, we need to stop the ghetto lotto, we need to uncuff the police, we need cooperation from the politicians, State Attorney and judges, we need to weed out the bad police. As far as Fred is concerned he was and is clout heavy and I think he retired with 10 or 15 thousand hours on the books.

Say what you want about SOS was in 7 in the late 80's when they pulled up on any job the thugs scattered people like jerry Carl jimmy etc were the real police big strong put the animals in their place! Flaming if you're want to but the city bosses encouraging activity they did what was requested they got screwed (do your believe the media lies?) it's a disgrace what the department did to these men. The bosses all got away freely with this nonsense! That was then this is now its over stay fetal John writes up coppers for missing beat tags?

Hey gang, it's 1967 all over again! Same complaints of police brutality, and needless use of force and arrests of people of color. Give it a few years, and people will be crying over the crime rate and quality of life issues. Sadly, by that time, Nero Rahm and his band of butt buddies will have run the city to the brink of extinction, making it uninhabitable for civilized people of any color. If a society makes war on its police, it had better learn to make friends with its criminals. A retired LT.

Once upon a time there was a Youth Division that had over 300 hundred patrolman assigned to high schools across the city, interacting with kids very day. Youth Officers went to Police Districts to handle Missing Person cases and process juvenile arrests at the station getting to know kids and there families. Child Abuse cases were investigated and follow ups on curfew violators made (about 48,000 a year) with many parents being sent to court when their kids continued to violate curfew. Truancy was enforced. Kids were safer.

No band-aid quick-fix will work unless fundamental changes occur first. Sadly, the chances of that happening are next to zero.

It's like rehabbing a house that has termites. Unless you get rid of the termites and rip out the damage they've done, any other work is nothing but temporary cosmetics. Down south they begin the process by putting a big plastic bag completely over the house and fumigating everything inside.

CPD has been overrun with termites for at least a century. The damage goes deep. The bag would need to also cover the mayor and some of the alderhogs.

It could work, but it would take a new super with the freedom to appoint his hand-picked staff from outside of CPD. Their 5-year goal, to lay the foundation that will rebuild the CPD into the preeminent PD in the country.

I believe that Gang Crimes, SOG, SOS, TRU or whatever acronym you choose, served a great purpose once upon a time, but with the current climate you'd be insane to join such a unit.Our brass is generally useless, the media-influenced public despises us (a majority of it), and with the ISR's, ACLU and the general hatred of the police, a unit like this would be tough to staff. And in regards to manpower, about 15 years ago on 3rd watch in my district we had 98 police officers, staffing 8 rapids, a park car, 5 foot posts and usually an 06 car or 2. Now, that same watch has 62 officers.Do the math; thats a difference of 36 officers or 6 for each day off group, meaning on any given day you'd have 24 MORE officers working (subtracting 12 for the 2 appropriate day off groups) on any given day.Yeah, there's no manpower shortage!

Regarding the retired Lt.'s comments, I agree that knowledge of a gang, its members and leadership, was invaluable in keeping that gang somewhat in check. But to gather intelligence you had to make STOPS. Intelligence gathering is no longer feasible in today's ACLU scrutinized oversight. Gone are the days apparently when you could stop a gang member for wearing colors, congregating on street corners intimidating citizens, or throwing up gang signs. The police have been hamstrung. Just bringing back the specialized units, in today's political climate, will not solve the problem. Until society swings back to supporting the police in the fight against crime, it's a losing battle. And the people who will be victimized the most are the very people the ACLU claims to "care" for. With "friends" like that, who needs enemies?

To all you posters. The retired Lt. That posted the note about him being one of v the HBT COORDINATORS is not LT. FRED. It is Angone the self righteous self gratifying goof who loves to write leters,and boasted about winning a,Congressional Medal. He lied, he did not win that

Citywide unit? Equipped? That's funny when the city's SWAT team all have expired armor, since last May, transport vans and armored vehicles that are broken down most of the time and 2 out of 10 guys with cars. Last HBT 2 guys got pulled over responding in the family car. This city has no intention of properly addressing crime, properly training it's officers or properly equipping them. They would rather pay out the ghetto lottery than invest in the department. Democratic leadership at its best.

Anonymous Anonymous said...I am a retired member who was part of a unit that Garry dumped. It was SOS then MSF. Yes there were problems but this job needs a ready response team that is versitile. We handedly crime, emergency disasters and special events. But SOS failed only because certain members were allowed free reign. With a proven leader and supervisors this unit could once again be a success. We also need these community leaders to realize the problems and jump on board with the police. We will need to over reach a bit but I believe with the right tools it would work. My advice is to bring back s ok me of v the r e tired Sgts. To act as advisors in training and c setting up this new unit. Before you guys all say old ways don't work. Sit back and listen before cowboy ing it up. I'm ready to come back and help because we do have a great department.

I'm reading some posts and a lot of them are agreeing, a city wide team would help. Wtf aren't you people getting? The ISRs, ACLU, DOJ, and entitled brass have to go. Jack shit is going to be done until that shot changes.

Listening to Joe Walsh tonight he mentioned an article in the Fibune that was based on a series of questions that asked CPD officers their thoughts on policing in Chiraq. The feedback nailed everything that has been discussed here: morale in the shitter, officers not stopping any savages, the stupid ISR, the ACLU, the disrespect from shitheads, no one wanting to be sued or the next YouTube sensation, staying fetal, the frsutration from command not having your back, the Ferguson fetal effect etc. It was on the money!! Joe mentioned the workplace shooting at the factory that was stopped by the first ofcr on the scene as he went into the building and took out the shooter before other ofcrs could arrive. He strongly mentioned to his listeners to say Thank You Blue every day when you see offcrs working. Called the police every day heroes!! Thanks for having our back and your support Joe!!!

Anonymous said...Once upon a time there was a Youth Division that had over 300 hundred patrolman assigned to high schools across the city, interacting with kids very day. Youth Officers went to Police Districts to handle Missing Person cases and process juvenile arrests at the station getting to know kids and there families. Child Abuse cases were investigated and follow ups on curfew violators made (about 48,000 a year) with many parents being sent to court when their kids continued to violate curfew. Truancy was enforced. Kids were safer.

2/26/2016 03:24:00 PM

It is good that you started this off as a fairly tale, what planet are you from curfews and truancy were never never enforced. I worked in youth as a P.O for awhile and assigned to administration(light duty) there was nothing done to parents, most of time the parents never showed up in court,cases were not heard, and throw out of court by the judge, that program failed and was dumped it was only a bullshit ploy by the department, a dog and pony show. There was no school in the city that had a truancy officer and the cps did not want them, school absentees were written a kid standing on a corner or outside of school or just plain late was grabbed and written up and than told to go to school they were not taken into school by a P.O. It was a numbers game just so the district or unit commander could go to the staff meeting and show some numbers. As we all know most curfew were written out of a phone book or made up name and your partner signed as a parent. We were to busy on the mids to take a kid home and have a parent sign and most of the time no one would be home, again a numbers game nobody cared. Missing cases were never handled in the district by youth there were sent to the area and than given to a youth officer and most were cleared over a phone call that the missing returned. I don't know what district you were in but all the youth arrest I had , the youth officer could not wait to get out of district and hardly ever talked to the parent other than to tell them they will be notified the court date and could give a shit about the juvenile just another case to process. child abuse cases are still handled in the area never in a district and the sex crime go to SIU for the investigation. So your warm and fuzzy feeling how youth problems were handled is full of shit and I speak from experience

That would be great if they wouldn't be held down for half the tour filling out ISR's. The outspoken citizens of this city don't want pro-active policing and the whore politicians sure as hell don't want it.I remember that hack mary mitchell writing that she wouldn't mind her son being stopped if it meant guns off the street and violence curbed, now she curses police for parking tickets.The pendulum has to swing back before we can be pro-active and for that to happen the herd needs to thin itself out a little bit longer.If the assassination of that 8 year old boy in the alley late summer wasn't enough to anger the ministers, what is

I'm Chicago born and bred, returned to SS of Chicago - well not really - Hyde Park. :-)

I'll take Chicago over most all things New York, but I just got to say that the NYPD - New York Police Department under mayor Guliani and NYPD chiefs Bratton and Kelly kicked ass in the mid 1990s. Everything we want to do, they did and it worked cut crime, murders by ~ 70%.

Here's a great book that tells how the NYPD took back the streets of New York City - it's nothing Sherlock Holmes, just solid police work using informants.

Robert Jackall, Street Stories: The World of Police Detectives, Harvard University Press, 2005, 429 pp., $16.33.

There has probably never been a better time to re-establish a dedicated City-wide gang intelligence and enforcement unit. I know all about the restraints put on officers by the courts, and I know that every mope on a corner has a video camera and is ready to use it. But leaving these issues aside, social media and the internet is an absolute gold-mine for intelligence gathering. Just go on Facebook and look up "Chicago Gangs"--there are any number of pages with pictures, names, idiots making criminal threats, info on leaders, etc. These mutts can't help themselves--they have an uncontrollable need to brag and bluster and puff out their chests for the world to see.